To Elicit a Teacher’s Perspective of the Process of PFB and Its Effectiveness in Supporting Enhanced Implementation of IY Classroom Effectiveness in Supporting Enhanced Implementation of IY Classroom

Strategies.

Interview responses and comments concerning PFB were analysed to determine, if the process of PFB delivered by the researcher was effective, and whether the teacher believed PFB effectively impacted her behaviour. Improvements and challenges to the PFB process are discussed towards the end.

Processes provided by the researcher. PFB as a tool for impacting behaviour was considered “necessary” and delivering feedback face-to-face was convenient and preferred by Mrs Drier. The inclusion of visual information was beneficial for the teacher, “Because I’m a visual learner. If you’d just given me percentages or whatever - the graph was helpful to see. I found it quite useful”. Mrs Drier explained that the self- reflection questions and the discussion that accompanied her responses were valuable. “I think that you couldn't really have a difference if there wasn't that talking and discussing.” Mrs Drier also remarked that delivering PFB during the same day was useful and if feedback was provided any later, it would not have made a difference to her. “To me, [PFB] needs to be on the spot. Because the day is over. A new day has begun. My head is thinking forward - I'm not thinking back. I’m not dwelling on what’s gone...”

Researcher effects. All data collection, specifically observations and delivery of PFB was completed by the researcher. As an instrument in the PFB process, there were potential aspects that may have influenced the effectiveness of the intervention.

Level of experience. The teacher believed the researcher’s limited professional experience was as a barrier to completely understanding classroom interactions or being able to notice the specific strategies and skills the teacher may be implementing. During PFB sessions, Mrs Drier commented, “...you should try to manage and take sole- charge of the classroom,” and during the follow-up interview, she stated that if the researcher had completed the IYTCM course, they would have “more clout.”

You would have more credibility. For me to have you come in and advise and prompt and say, ‘look at this and look at that,’ it’s not as impactful as if you were in the classroom every day, as a teacher, and if you had done the course yourself.

48

Observer effects. Mrs Drier alluded to the effects of having an observer in the classroom. She noted, “you don’trealise what you use and what you don’t use. So when [the researcher was] counting, or aware that someone is in the classroom counting, you tend to revert back and use [strategies] more.”

While Mrs Drier did acknowledge the researcher’s aptitude and knowledge of IYTCM content, she did express that the researcher’s lack of experience was a weakness of the study.

Effectiveness. When asked about her overall experience of the study, Mrs Drier commented, “I don’t think that I would have used my knowledge from three years ago as much as I have...with you coming in...” The teacher often expressed that she had more awareness of her performance in class, confirming PFB brought previous knowledge “...to the top of my mind on how to be more positive and be aware of my instructions.”

Because you learn [techniques] and then you try and implement it. Over three years, you might revert to type – forget everything – but with you coming back in the classroom, just made me aware that I am using some of the strategies – that I haven’t forgotten everything.

The main positive from her involvement in the intervention was the awareness, and she expressed, “...I have been more ... kind, and not negative. So that’s helped me tremendously.”

When asked to reflect on noticeable changes in her use of commands, Mrs Drier responded by saying, “When you’re actually in your day and you’re getting along with it, you don’t...I’m not aware of it. ... I have more awareness in the moment, but I cannot

comment on whether it’s made a difference overall.” The notion of responding to

behaviour as and when it occurs or ‘in the moment’ may indicate the teacher’s intentions to use the information in a proactive manner.

The data in the beginning, when you showed me, ‘oh you do this, that many times,’ I’m thinking, ‘oh well.’ If there was an improvement, it didn’t make a difference to my teaching. That’s quite a harsh thing to say, but because you’re in the moment and you’re not actually consciously thinking, ‘ooh I’m better than in the beginning’ or whatever.

49 Improvements and challenges to effectiveness. Limits to the effectiveness of PFB were communicated through the teacher’s opinion of ‘outsiders’ (someone not employed in the school). The teacher believed that an ‘outsider’ may not fully comprehend what a teacher is trying to do, or what they may be dealing with on a daily basis. Observers may develop overall impressions of the classroom, students and teaching strategies however this occurs over time. Mrs Drier stated that while trying to teach specific skills (e.g. self-management) in the students, “[Her approach] might look from an outsider to be not compassionate, but it’s not that at all. ... An outsider might not have picked that up; an outsider might not see that. It’s all within the dynamics of the classroom.” When questioned about how different the experience would have been if another teacher or leader in the school had conducted observations and provided feedback, the teacher acknowledged that, “I don’t think my behaviour would have changed, but I would have appreciated the fact that the person had been through what I’ve been through: walking alongside me, rather than an outsider looking in.” Mrs Drier noted that even peers or leaders who would come to complete observations were not “...coming in as a person that’s done the Incredible Years programme,” and that teachers from the school “...wouldn’t know what I’m doing. They would only see it as teacher things – not as behaviour modification or learning...” Mrs Drier commented that the most meaningful feedback she had received was from a leader who completed the IYTCM programme with her, “We were on the same page. ... She knew what I was trying to achieve and what I was doing, because we’d been through the programme together.”

50 Research Question: Is PFB a Useful Tool to Support an IY Trained Teacher’s Classroom Management Skills?

Each objective and the accompanying findings served to adequately address the overall research question i.e. is PFB a useful tool to support an IY trained teacher’s classroom management skills? The teacher acknowledged that PFB is a useful and necessary tool, and it was convenient and practical for the classroom environment. Mrs Drier preferred feedback to be provided on the same day and she noted that visual graphs representing percentage of behaviours were helpful. Self-reflection questions and the opportunity to discuss her implementation were worthwhile components of PFB for Mrs Drier.

Overall, the teacher felt PFB was a useful tool for drawing attention to her behaviour, prompting her to be kinder, and more aware. Regardless of these effects, Mrs Drier believed the intervention did not impact her performance. She suggested that another teacher, someone requesting assistance, might have found receiving PFB more beneficial than she did “...because I never asked for it, I’m in control already, the differences weren’t marked on the graph. The before and after [results] weren’t huge.” Examination of quantitative data showed no clear association between providing PFB, and increases or decreases in the use of commands.

Mrs Drier recognized that certain factors influenced the classroom dynamics (students’ anticipation of school trip or impromptu sports activity) and influenced the class’ daily routine. Analysis of qualitative data and frequency counts of commands indicated possible influential factors associated with implementation; such as, Mrs Drier’s perception of her classroom management capabilities, her use of behaviour management strategies, opinions of credibility, and consultants of PFB. The teacher’s receptiveness to intervention was also likely to intervene with implementation, as she did not intend on acting upon PFB information.

I’ve never changed anything for you.... So if I had to prepare and change stuff, it would have been really burdensome for me ... if I felt that you needed me to be something that I was not, and be false for that time, I would have found that very cumbersome and very difficult.

51 Summary of Findings

The data collected through qualitative and quantitative approaches were presented as a mixed methods analysis, with one or both datasets complementing the other and providing supplementary information to determine findings. Even though data indicates Mrs Drier found PFB practical and useful in prompting awareness of her behaviour, and encouraging positive, kind interactions, PFB did not elicit behaviour change or enhanced implementation. Exploration of teacher identified factors, aspects from data, and the processes of PFB, revealed factors that may have impacted the intervention. The teacher’s perceptions of her management capabilities, her implementation of IYTCM strategies, and her attitude towards PFB intervention are explored as contributing factors that may hinder the effects of PFB. Further, the perception of ‘outsiders’ is considered, with reference to teachers’ efficacy. The interactions of the identified factors are discussed in the following chapter.

52